April, 2018 - Social Media 101
Disruptive Marketing is Dead

Disruptive Marketing is Dead

What is Disruptive Marketing?

 
Disruptive marketing refers to communication that is considered intrusive by the recipient.

These are generally outbound mass marketing messages, usually with a hard-sell approach. Traditional forms of interruptive promotional activities include unsolicited sales calls, print marketing and even billboards. Online pop-up ads, push-messages and spammy emails are digital methods that cause disruption

Intrusive and Interruptive Marketing Does Not Work

 
Why?

Well, for starters, it’s annoying. No one wants to be interrupted by an unwanted and/or irrelevant message. Think about the fact that movies on paid television channels are ad-free, or that web browsers have ad-blocker settings. Some businesses, however, still disregard this trend and continue to use push-marketing tactics. These type of “force-feeding” practices are not well received by consumers who feel that the brand does not respect their time or preferences as an individual.

Customer needs and desires have also changed over the years. More so with the emergence of increasingly demanding consumer segments (such as Millennials), as well as the growing use of digital platforms by clients. These evolved audiences have little tolerance for self-absorbed interruptive brand messaging. An irrelevant or unwanted advertisement will be ignored and the marketer regarded with disdain. And once this negative view is established, it is very difficult to connect with such a client in the future as they become unresponsive to any further communication sent by the brand.

In addition to customer behaviour, mass marketing is not good for business. Media ad space is expensive, yet does not provide factual data in terms of returns. Untargeted messaging is not an effective use of resources due to excessive wastage. And with ad-blocking device and app functions on the rise, an increasing percentage of “push” communication messages will not even be seen by the intended recipients.

Alternative Solution to Disruptive Marketing

 
The essence of successful marketing lies in ensuring customer expectations are met. Social media is an ideal way to communicate with consumers in a non-intrusive and client-based manner. It allows you to connect to your audience, as opposed to just pushing promotional material onto them.

Social media is considered a permission-based form of marketing as clients can choose to opt in for more communication by liking or following a page. Engaging and interesting content that is targeted to a relevant audience leads to them choosing to continue receiving messaging from the brand. Quality page posts that add value (for example: articles, tips and guides) pulls consumers in promotes positive customer sentiment. Once users see that the business is client-focused and useful, they are significantly more open to brand marketing messages related to products or services.

Users are also able to discover a brand’s page through search engines. This generates inbound audiences that have an existing interest in the business’s offering. The interactive nature and two-way communication channels offered by social media further assist in allowing inbound communication from client to business. Also, the business’s page contains a history of brand activities including value-adds and information. This is a form of storytelling that lets new or inbound audiences see the “bigger picture” and get a sense of overall brand identity. And I’m sure you will agree that it is highly more effective than a traditional broadcast ad or print ad viewed in isolation.

From a business perspective, social media returns far outweigh other forms of mass marketing. As audiences can be targeted for maximum relevance, investment is efficiently used. Targeting is especially significant for brands with a niche market or a business-to-business model as it provides a viable way to reach specific clients without having high wastage typical of traditional methods. Reports provide measurable data so that you know what you are paying for.

Quite frankly, in the current market climate driven by client needs, there is no room for business-centric hard-sell approaches characteristic of disruptive promotional messages. Communication has to be focused on meeting customer demands in order for brand marketing to succeed. Social media supports the entire client journey, creating a platform to attract and retain customers. It also delivers positive results through effective, objective-based planning of activities. Invest in your social media presence and compare the results – we are confident that you will be pleased at the outcome.

We would love to chat you to about your business requirements over a cup of coffee. Contact Social Media 101 – we look forward to meeting you.

10 + 1 =